...HEAVY RAINFALL OVER THE PAST WEEK AND ABOVE NORMAL RAINFALLOVER THE LAST THREE WEEKS HAS LED TO AN INCREASED RISK OFLANDSLIDES...

RAINFALL OF 2 TO 5 INCHES IN THE LOWLANDS OVER THE PAST WEEK HASINCREASED SOIL MOISTURE TO HIGH LEVELS ACROSS WESTERN WASHINGTON.RAINFALL OF A HALF INCH TO MORE THAN TWO INCHES LAST NIGHT WILLCONTRIBUTE TO ADDITIONAL PRESSURE ON SOIL INSTABILITY...LEADINGTO AN ENHANCED RISK OF LANDSLIDES.

CUMULATIVE RAINFALL OVER THE LAST WEEK HAS SOAKED SOILS TO THEPOINT WHERE THE WASHINGTON LANDSLIDE RISK LEVEL IS MODERATE. THEHIGHER THE RISK LEVEL...THE MORE NUMEROUS THE LANDSLIDES ARELIKELY TO BE. ISOLATED LANDSLIDES CAN BE EXPECTED TODAY ANDPERHAPS THE REST OF THIS WEEK.

WITH AN ELEVATED LANDSLIDE RISK...RAINFALL INDUCED LANDSLIDES AREPOSSIBLE DURING BURSTS OF INTENSE RAINFALL OR WHEN THERE IS HEAVYRAINFALL OVER A PERIOD OF A DAY OR TWO AS NOTED IN THE FORECASTELEVATED RISK LEVEL. A GRADUALLY DIMINISHING RISK OF LANDSLIDESWILL CONTINUE FOR SEVERAL DAYS AFTER THE RAIN ENDS. AREAS MOSTSUSCEPTIBLE TO LANDSLIDES UNDER THESE CONDITIONS ARE STEEP COASTALBLUFFS AND OTHER STEEP HILLSIDES.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CURRENT CONDITIONS...VISITWWW.WEATHER.GOV/SEATTLE...SELECT HYDROLOGY...AND THEN SCROLL DOWNFOR THE LINKS TO THE LANDSLIDE INFORMATION PAGES.

TO REPORT LANDSLIDES TO THE STATE FOR TABULATION...GO TO THEWASHINGTON STATE LANDSLIDE RISK WEB PAGE AND THE LINK FORREPORTING.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORMWARNING FOR SNOW AND WINDY CONDITIONS...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 10AM THIS MORNING TO 4 AM PST WEDNESDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH ISNO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* SOME AFFECTED LOCATIONS...HURRICANE RIDGE.

* TIMING...HEAVY SNOW AT TIMES IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN THIS MORNING AND CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST LATE TONIGHT.